The use of oriental chopsticks by occidentals has long constituted an embarrassing challenge. Typically, the occidental, when faced with the opportunity to use chopsticks to consume oriental style cooking, graciously declines. Others will attempt the use of chopsticks with little success and quietly deposit them on the table and pick up a fork with which they feel comfortable, and find that they can eat with self assurance and some efficiency. Some occidentals actually become proficient with the use of chopsticks, but most do not, and as a result, avoid the occasion of eating oriental food.
I have found that the greatest difficulty which learners have with the use of chipsticks is not the basic grasping of the chopsticks, or the picking up of food between the two tips, but rather the pivoting of the two sticks, which causes the food to be dropped and the chopsticks to cross in an embarrassing showing of lack of proficiency in their use. This common problem has been recognized by others and has been the subject of a number of patents covering chopstick holding devices of various types. Typical of such devices are those disclosed in the following patents:
______________________________________ 3,239,262 J. Rines et al 03/08/66 3,501,191 L. Darr 03/17/70 4,199,180 J. L. Kelly 04/22/80 3,323,825 T. N. Arima 06/06/67 3,807,781 E. J. Rollband 04/30/74 3,414,310 H. Ono 12/03/68 3,186,749 G. A. Dawes 06/01/65 and 2,997,328 W. F. Lee 08/22/61 ______________________________________